


To Live Another Life

by AManwithaB0x



Category: RWBY
Genre: Amnesia, F/F, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 09:37:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11575389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AManwithaB0x/pseuds/AManwithaB0x
Summary: She awoke in a hospital bed, but had no idea how she got there ...or who these three girls are ...or even her own name.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, first thing's first: I originally published this story on FF.net on 5/12/17 and finished it less than a month later. I then made an account on AO3 on 7/22. That same day I found "Memories Lost" by the_Chuck_Thunderbuckle. Therefore, please know that I had NO INTENTION of copying that work, no matter how close the two appear to be. It was a complete coincidence.
> 
> That being said, I chose to cross-post this story here since it was the first one I finished on the other site. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

The first thing she noticed was her heartbeat, a rhythmic drumming in her ears that seemed to get louder as she focused on it. The sound was soothing in a way. It meant she was still alive.

After that came the smells. There was a faint sour aroma of cleaning fluids mixed with the airy smell of freshly washed sheets. Underneath that was a bit of body odor. The rest of the surrounding air was a sterilized no-smell that seemed to tone down everything else.

The sense of touch followed next. She was laying down flat on her back. She guessed it was a mattress underneath her, but she'd never felt one _this_ hard and uncomfortable. There was an odd pressure around her head, both arms, and her ...uh, ... _left_ foot. Yeah, left. It was hard to focus with that beeping noise next to her. It was rather loud in the otherwise quiet space.

She slowly pried her eyes open to find herself in a narrow, darkened room. Next to her was a large machine with numerous glowing lights and a line that spiked and jumped each time her heart gave a beat. So _that_ was the source of the beeping. Well, one mystery solved. On the other side of the bed was a tall metal pole with a plastic bag slung over one arm. That was a... uh, IV drip... or something. Okay, this was getting weird. All signs pointed to her being in a hospital room.

But she didn't remember _getting_ here.

She tried to lift one arm, then the other, but found them both encumbered by heavy casts. She could barely turn her head to get a look at them before laying back against the pillow in defeat. Gods, had she _ever_ felt this _tired_ before? This ... _defeated?_ She honestly had no idea. In fact, she didn't remember much of ...well, anything. It was all kind of ...hazy. She could remember vague images, like shadows against a wall, but even those faded the longer she tried to reach them.

Hoping sleep would clear the fog, she tried to return to the darkness... but was only able to lay in it, staring absently at the ceiling. She wondered how long it would be until someone came for her. And whether or not she'd actually remember her own name...

 

 

* * *

[ A FEW HOURS LATER... ]

* * *

 

The lights were on now. A doctor had come in a few minutes earlier to check the machines and write some stuff down on a clipboard, but he didn't stay. A nurse came in at the same time to change a few things out; among them the wide bandage that was wrapped around the girl's head. _Must've gotten a bump or something... maybe that's why I'm still in a fuzz._ There was no pain, just a dull throbbing that kept rhythm with her heartbeat.

Now that she was _almost_ alone in the room, finally able to look around thanks to the bed's lift getting adjusted, she had a better view of the room's new occupant. It was a young girl, mid-teens at most, with short, dark red hair and a really worried expression on her face. She wore a black outfit with various red pieces and a bright red cape... or was it a cloak? Hard to tell from here. The girl had been sitting there for almost ten minutes without a word. She just stared at the girl, fidgeting every so often. Any hope that this visitor might speak... or at least give the girl her name... was beginning to fade.

"So... how ya feeling, sis?"

_Dammit_. She was sure ' _sis_ ' wasn't a name. _Just wait it out, no response_. _Listen_.

"You were out for two days, but the doctor said you'd be good to go soon!" The girl tried to smile, but it was clear she was still worried.

_Well, that gives me a time frame at least. Laying here for two days? No wonder I can barely move._

"Yeah, so... um..." The girl in red was getting antsy, looking around for something, _anything_ to talk about. The silence seemed to be an effective weapon against any attempt at smiling. Then she perked up, "Oh yeah, Blake said she'd be here in a few minutes! And she's bringing treats!"

_Okay, so look for someone to walk in with some things... most likely it'll be this 'Blake.'_

Less than five minutes passed before her next intruder came in. This girl was a few years older than the red girl, and stood at least a foot taller by first guess. Her long, curly black hair reached the middle of her back and had a large ribbon tied into it at the top. She wore mostly black and white clothes. Her amber-colored eyes were set in an expression of boredom. In her arms were two shopping bags with multicolored packages inside. There was a faintly sweet smell. _Ah, this must be the 'Blake.'_

"So how's our patient?" The girl in black set her things down and asked the girl in red softly.

A shrug, "Well I know she's awake, but she hasn't said a word yet."

Blake looked over at the bed and it's occupant. "Probably still high on painkillers. Maybe she can't hear us?"

_Oh, for the love of... someone better start saying names here! I'm getting pissed!_ Anger began to bubble up from deep within, but the machine noticed and began beeping faster, alerting the other two occupants of the room. She quickly settled herself down, hoping she hadn't raised a panic alarm of some kind. _Oh great, anger is a no-no. Fine, I'll just stay calm and keep listening._ She had to keep herself from crossing her arms in annoyance.

"I think she heard _that,_ " the girl in red noted to the one called Blake.

The doctor came back in then to re-check the machines and the girl in the bed. Apparently her increased heart rate _did_ set off a buzzer, so they had to come in and make sure she was okay. Just as they finished, yet another guest came into the room. This one arrived like a phantom; all white. White hair, white jacket, white skirt, white boots, ...all of it, white. The girl had to fight the urge to squint when she looked at the newcomer. The sunlight coming in from the window caused her to glow very brightly.

"Honestly, just how hard do you think your head _is?_ I could understand if you were taking a blow for Blake or something, but that was just showing off," she chided. Her voice carried the air of high living and a snotty attitude. Both caused the girl's stomach to churn. There was also the fact that, despite saying so much, she gave away _nothing_ new.

The girl was close to pulling her own hair. _AARGH! I'm really gonna... no. I can't. Breath, girl. No reactions. Wait it_ _out_.

Blake spoke up next, "Hard to believe she hasn't said anything for _this_ long."

Followed by the red girl, "I know. It's kinda creepy."

Then the white girl, "Hmph. I like it. I'd rather have the quiet Yang than the loud Yang." This earned a disapproving glare from the red girl.

_**Finally**. Okay, so apparently I'm a ...loud person. Well, used to be. And my name is Yang. At least I hope she was talking about me and not someone else..._

Blake hid a chuckle before leaning towards the red girl to say, "I think Weiss just said she liked Yang..."

"I most certainly did _not!_ " The girl called Weiss stomped one boot in anger, ice-blue eyes wide. "I simply gave my opinion on her current state of ...silence." The last word came out much quieter than the others.

The talking stopped again, all eyes on the girl in the bed. The girl called Yang. Silence reigned for several more minutes as the treats were divided among the four girls. Four cookies and a few assorted pastries were given to Yang. The girl in red offered to ...feed her, since both of Yang's hands were fully bound in casts. The girl in the bed gave a short nod, not feeling like starting any sort of argument. Still no words were said.

She ate one whole cookie, but refused the second. The girl in red sat back down, looking dejected. Yang's chest hurt a little at the sight, but she wasn't sure why. Once she realized that no more information would be freely given out for her to catch, the girl called Yang finally spoke.

"What happened to me?"

She didn't recognize her own voice.

 

 

* * *

[ THAT NIGHT... ]

* * *

 

The clock across the room read 8:12. The three girls had left Yang for the night, but promised to come visit her every day until the casts came off. It would be about a week. The blonde (she had finally seen her reflection and was shocked at how _bright_ her hair actually was) lay still in the bed, thinking on what she had seen and heard today.

According to them, there had been an accident during a training battle of some kind. Yang had taken a heavy blow to the head and had been knocked clean out. Something about misjudging her ...aura? ...The heck was an aura? Anyway, they brought her here right away where she'd undergone major surgery to repair two broken arms, one broken wrist and a fractured leg. She'd only woken up two days after that.

The most upsetting part was that she didn't remember _any_ of it; the fight, the injuries, the three girls... _nothing._ Not even what led up _to_ the fight. It was all gone. On the plus side, she at least _knew_ that something was missing. The steady beeping of the machine nearby reminded her that no matter how upset it may make her, she was _not_ allowed to get angry. No emotions. Just sleep and wait it out. Surely there would be more answers once she got out of here.

 

 

* * *

[ LATER... ]

* * *

 

The girl called Yang was finally being released from the hospital.

It was a bright, clear day with a gentle breeze blowing down the sidewalk. A _perfect_ day, one might be inclined to notice. At least, it would be great if you had some clue as to where you _were_. As the blonde carefully walked out the doors and squinted in the sunshine, relief gave way to mild panic as she took in her surroundings. It was a city, _that_ she could tell, but she certainly had no idea which one. The three girls from the other day - Blake, Weiss and the red girl whose name Yang still hadn't heard - were making their way deeper into the city. The blonde had no choice but to follow them, trusting that they weren't leading her into some kind of trap... or prank. Hard to tell which would be worse at this point.

Yang had made a goal to do two things both now and for the foreseeable future: keep _quiet_ and keep _calm_. Her anger seemed to set things off around her, so she made sure to keep a lid on it. The silence allowed her a greater chance to learn more about her surroundings and her companions. Try as she might, she _still_ couldn't remember who they were. It was obvious _they_ considered _her_ a good friend, but...

"Are you sure you're okay, Yang?" The red girl was as worried as ever. "You've never been this quiet before. Does your head hurt? Should _we_ be quiet?" The smaller girl began waving her arms frantically. Yang could only smile. She _was_ kinda cute.

Weiss inclined her head, "Maybe it's _you_ who should be quiet, Ruby."

_Ah, there it is! Ruby ...I like it. Fits, too._

"But but but -" more arm waving, "it's just not the same with a quiet Yang. It's too weird."

Blake put a hand on Ruby's head, "Relax, fearless leader. She'll be fine."

Yang's brow furrowed briefly. _Wait, leader? Her?! What's she lead, the children's parade?_

That seemed to lift the younger girls' spirit. She cheered, "Okay! Now we just have to make it to the airship and get Yang home! Team RWBY, move out!"

They were near a coffee shop, so Weiss piped up, "Coffee first."

Ruby didn't miss a beat, "Coffee first!"

Blake muttered, "They _better_ have some tea over there."

The group casually made their way to the coffee shop on the corner, with Yang trailing behind a few feet. The blonde's head was down and her lavender eyes were glued to the sidewalk. Her thoughts were on many things; the doctor had ordered _(very sternly)_ that she avoid any fighting for several weeks, the clothes she had been given to change into were unfamiliar (and she was sure she had put _something_ on the wrong way), and now she somehow found herself under the ... _leadership_ of a 15-year-old kid. She crossed her arms with a frown.

_This is going to be harder than I thought..._


	2. Chapter 2

 

* * *

[ 2:17 AM ]

* * *

 

The cold water landed noisily in the sink as the blonde splashed it across her face, shaking her head in a vain attempt to wake herself up a bit further. She wiped herself off with a nearby towel, then leaned on the cold porcelain of the sink to better study the face in the mirror. The face that had been staring back at her each time she looked at any reflective surface. It was a face she _still_ didn't recognize... but it was becoming slightly more familiar.

It had only been a couple of days since she had been released from the hospital, but the girl called Yang couldn't remember anything from before that. Things like her past, where she was, who those people asleep in their beds were... it was all gone and she didn't think it would ever come back. What she _did_ know, without any doubt, was that those people were good friends with her before... well, before _that_ happened. Even without any previous experiences with them to fall back on, she had learned a few important things:

The girl in white, called Weiss Schnee (...the hell kind of name is _Schnee?_ ), was a **brat**. She was constantly whining about ...well, pretty much _everything_ they were doing and made sure to put her two cents in whenever she got the chance. Yang felt that the girl was slowly trying to take the position of leader for herself. It was obvious to nearly anyone that she wanted to be in charge.

The girl with the ribbon, called Blake ...Bella ...-donna? I think that's right... she liked to read. A lot. She didn't _say_ a lot, but when she did, it was always something important. Or surprising. There were a few times she caught Yang off guard yesterday with some unexpected comment. The blonde made a mental note to watch herself extra hard around the brunette, as she seemed to notice more going on around her than the others did. Yang _had_ thought Blake was being a bit ... _flirty_ with her a few times, but she just chalked it up as her imagination.

The girl in red, called Ruby Rose (now _that_ name was just perfect) was younger than the other two, yet somehow was _actually put in charge._ Yang still couldn't wrap her head around that. Sure she was peppy, bubbly and happy, but there was nothing that the blonde could see that gave away any kind of leadership skills. What she found odd was that Weiss had little defense against Ruby when the latter made what Blake called 'puppy-dog eyes.' Possibly a more sinister side? Maybe her skill was in manipulation? She would have to keep an eye on that girl.

The blonde sighed deeply, considering herself again in the mirror. Even with a small light fixture in their shared bathroom, Yang's hair was practically incandescent. The girl could only stare, wondering _how_ she ever lived with such a mane of gold attached to her head. Considering the sheer _volume_ of shampoo in the shower stall, the girl figured that maintaining it must have been a real nightmare. She wasn't sure she could keep it as clean as ...as she _used_ to. She fingered the large, discolored area on the side of her head _very_ gently, since it still hurt like a _bitch._ There was a dull throbbing around that area, as though her own body didn't know what to do with this ...strangeness.

Another sigh, followed by a hard head shake. She bit back a wave of dizziness. She looked back up, lavender eyes locked onto themselves in the reflection. _Get a grip, girl! No sense in getting depressed yet... it hasn't even been three days. Just keep it together. Something_ _will_ _come back, okay? And you know what...?_ She gave herself a hard glare and pointed at the mirror, the blonde reflection mimicking the action perfectly, but in reverse. _Even if nothing comes back, you_ _still_ _gotta suck it up and move on! Life isn't gonna sit and wait for you to cry and moan like a baby!_

Satisfied with her pep-talk, Yang shut off the light and returned to the beds. The darkness welcomed her back by blinding her for a few minutes, but it was nothing a little waiting couldn't fix. Once adjusted, the blonde examined the faces of her so-called teammates. Ruby was on the top bunk on one side of the room (if _these_ were bunk beds, then someone had some serious explaining to do), snoozing away. How she pulled that off in a bed hanging from the ceiling by _ropes_ was a mystery that Yang simply _did not_ want to solve. At least not tonight. Weiss slept just below her, displaying a level of bravery that was nothing short of impressive. Anyone who could sleep underneath Ruby's deathtrap of a bed had to have _balls_ the size of... eh, you get the idea.

Blake was facing the wall on the top bunk on the other side of the room. In accordance with the doctor's orders that Yang take it easy, the brunette had offered to take the top bunk so Yang didn't have to climb - the blonde _had_ tried when they first arrived, but scared them all when she started to shake and wobble violently on the way up. Bottom bunk for her, then ...not that _she_ minded. Yang sat on the edge of the bed slowly, trying not to make any creaking sounds that might disturb the others. As she sat in the darkness, she looked at her trembling hands and pondered her current situation.

Due to her state of recovery, Yang was given a week out of classes to rest. This meant she had plenty of time to explore the campus, read some books, and observe the people around her. Word had spread among the students that the 'mighty Yang' had gone timid, mainly due to her new, withdrawn attitude and lack of bad puns. She just ignored them.

The first thing Yang did was explore the idea of memory loss on the CCT network - according to the information she found, Yang had what was called 'retrograde amnesia.' It was only a self-diagnosis, of course, but all the signs were there; the head trauma and the lack of 'event memory' were clear indicators of her condition.

However, she also decided that this was _not_ something that everyone needed to know about. The blonde wasn't sure _why_ she felt this way, but she simply couldn't argue that this matter needed to be kept quiet. She didn't know _how_ it would all work out, but deep down she just _knew_ it would. That, and she had learned enough about the one called Ruby Rose to know that the redhead would either blame herself for Yang's condition or go out of her way to take care of Yang's _every single need._ Most likely both, if no one stopped her. The blonde smiled at the mental image of a frantic, obsessive Ruby driving everyone crazy.

Yang stood back up and slowly made her way to the young leader's bunk. She smiled lightly, gently ruffling the dark red hair with one hand. _She called me 'sis,' too... Are we related somehow?_ Recalling her own blonde hair and lavender eyes, Yang thought back to Ruby's dark red hair and silver eyes. _I just can't see any resemblance..._ The taller girl yawned, cutting off any further thoughts on the matter.

Resigning herself to her fate, Yang slowly lay back into the bed. She thought back on the week's worth of memories she still had, sadly understanding there was no more than that at the moment, and closed her eyes to try and sleep.

Her last thought before succumbing was, _Why does this bed smell like ...cats?_

 

 

* * *

[ THE NEXT MORNING...]

* * *

 

Yang absently poked her tray of breakfast in the dorm room, her mind anywhere else but on the food in front of her. She thought of her hair first - the shower had been a serious mental battle from which she was still recovering. There were no less than _ten different shampoos_ for her to pick from, and _no_ clear way to tell which bottle belonged to which girl. Not to mention the three types of conditioner. Yang had basically rolled the dice and hoped... _prayed,_ even... that she'd made the right choice. The last thing she wanted was the ire of a teenage girl who no longer had any of her _favorite_ shampoo.

She thought of the other team from across the hall who was getting breakfast at the same time. She clearly noticed all of them looking worried when Yang had taken her food back to the dorm to eat in private. In the snippets of conversation the blonde could pick up during that time, she learned the names of Nora, Jaune and...'Peer-ah?' She'd have to look up how to spell _that_ one. The boy in the green outfit seemed the be even more ...no-talky... than Blake. Nora, on the other hand (assuming the girl with the short ginger hair _was_ Nora), more than made up for it with her energy. It was like Ruby on a double shot of espresso; Yang smiled _and_ shuddered at the mental image.

The fact that Yang's hands had begun to tremble as she carried her tray out of the room did little to ease her friend's concerns.

It was the last day of classes for the week, and the next few days would put more ... _social_ pressure on Yang than she'd had thus far. In a fit of brilliance and a desire to avoid too many unnecessary misunderstandings, she made for the school library. This was where she had looked up details of her ...condition, so she knew it had access to a good-sized database. As she entered the vast, silent facility, the blonde gazed around at the books on the shelves, imagining what kind of things she could glean from them. She made a mental note to take a good long look around later before settling down in front of a computer.

Clicking in the search box, she typed in 'Yang.' 1.76 _billion_ hits. _Okay,_ _ **that's**_ _not gonna work._ Next she typed 'Yang Beacon.' Down to 674 _thousand_. Much better. She tried the first link, which simply read 'Yang Xiao Long.' _Okay, how the flaming crap am I supposed to pronounce_ _ **that**_ _name?!_

And so, for the next 2 hours and 37 minutes, the girl called Yang read everything the school database had to say about ...herself. The next 4 hours after that was spent reading up on pretty much everything else. Needless to say, the information regarding other teams and their leaders (specifically the blonde boy from JNPR) was more than a bit surprising.

By the end of the day, Yang had gained two new things; a sore neck and a third rule.

_Never assume._

 

 

* * *

[ THREE DAYS LATER ]

* * *

 

Team RWBY stood before a man with silver-gray hair and deep, knowing eyes. He occasionally sipped what must have been coffee from the mug he kept close by at all times. His clothes suggested a man in a position of authority, but Yang only knew him by his profile on the database: Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy and the man _most_ likely to guess the truth about Yang's situation. They had just finished debriefing after a ... _particularly_ disastrous mission and the man's eyes never seemed to leave the blonde for very long during the meeting. It was as though he _just knew_ she was hiding something. She couldn't help but fidget every time his gaze lingered a bit too long.

"While the results of the mission were ...less than spectacular, I can honestly say that having you all back safe and sound is the best result I could ask for." The older man stood from his desk, grabbing a cane for support. The metallic head of the cane gleamed in the orange light of the sunset behind him, which painted the sky like a vast mural. The air in the room was chilly, but comfortable... yet Yang fought to keep from sweating.

Ruby spoke up next, her silver eyes narrow with hesitation, "What about the relief efforts for the village? Are the people there going to be alright?"

Ozpin's hazel eyes seemed to smile all on their own. "The relocation is already complete, Miss Rose. I was notified just before you all came in. The villagers will be fine."

Ruby's shoulders visibly lifted, a clear indication of the weight that had been removed from them. In trying to defend a freshly-started village from a nearby nest of Grimm, team RWBY had failed to catch a group of Beowulf before it reached the town. The resulting battle destroyed all but one of the wooden structures, leaving the villagers homeless. Needless to say, this was _not_ how it was supposed to go...

"Now, I believe it's time for you all to get some rest. You've had a busy few days." The man made his way around the desk with calculated steps, every third one the distinct _thump_ of a wooden pole rather than leather-soled shoes. "But I'd like a few words with Miss Xiao Long first, if you don't mind...?"

Fresh panic came with those words, only to be quickly squashed down. The blonde turned to her now-worried teammates and said, as calmly as she could, "It's okay guys, I'll catch up in a bit," and smiled warmly. After watching a few recordings of her old self, Yang had become rather confident in her acting skills. She felt like she could pull off her old style of speaking with little trouble ...so long as it was kept short. It seemed to work as a sense of relief washed over the three teenagers. They turned to go, but Ruby turned to give her sister one last look before closing the double doors.

_My sister... and we actually_ _ are _ _sisters. Hard to believe..._

The silence only lasted until Ozpin had refilled his mug. "Miss Xiao Long," _Ah, so_ _ **that's**_ _how you say it. What a mouthful._ "You don't seem quite ...yourself lately."

As the older man went to sit back at his desk, he beckoned Yang to take a seat. She swallowed hard, but complied. _He knows... he has to know, or else why keep me behind..._

"As I understand it..." he set his coffee down and looked at Yang over steepled fingers, "your skills as a huntress _would_ have been more than adequate to handle the situation. Yet you failed." He let the silence do the talking for a moment, then added, "Almost as though you had... _forgotten_ how to fight."

The blonde visibly flinched at the accusation. _This is getting creepy. Does this guy read minds or something?_

"I don't want to believe that one of my precious students is suffering from such a ...debilitating condition without telling anyone." He leaned back in his chair, the metal hinges creaking slightly. "It was the training accident two weeks ago, wasn't it?"

_**Damn**_ _this guy is sharp._ "Y-yeah, it was..."

"How much did you forget?"

The blonde sighed, mentally preparing herself. "All of it... I think. Names, faces, who is what to whom, even recent events. It's all gone." Yang placed her face in her hands, wiping away the thin layer of sweat she didn't know was there. "I've been trying to look up whatever I can in hopes that some memory might trigger, but I guess some things just..." she looked at her hands, still shaking, "...don't come back."

Ozpin remained where he sat, staring at the girl with a mixture of confusion and deep sorrow. "I won't pretend to know what you're going through, Miss Xiao Long... but believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry to hear of it." The cup of coffee sat undisturbed at his side. "Why haven't you told the rest of your team?"

"Because I'd never hear the end of it," Yang quickly answered. A smirk found it's way onto her face as she said, "You know what _that Ruby_ would do if she found out..."

The older man chuckled. He knew _exactly_ what Ruby Rose would do, so he fully understood the blonde's hesitation. "And what about you? What do _you_ want to do now?" He took a swig of his coffee. "This _is_ a school to train huntsman and huntresses. Warriors. If you don't feel like you can continue..."

"No, I... I want to try," Yang set a determined expression on her face. "I can't just _leave_. They're counting on me," she glanced back at the door, almost like she expected Ruby, Weiss and Blake to simply burst through at that moment.

"You're more like your sister than you think," Ozpin intoned. There was another few moments of silence before he offered, "A situation like yours has never occurred during my time as headmaster of Beacon. If you don't think you can make it through the time you have left here, I would have no trouble reassigning you to a different school to allow you to ...fully recuperate."

Ozpin stood again, indicating their meeting was almost over. Yang rose as well, disappointed that her first _honest_ talk with another human being was ending but eager to return to her teammates. "Thank you, professor. I'll keep that in mind." Ozpin offered a hand and Yang shook it, but blinked in surprise when she found a small flash drive placed into her palm.

"You might find the information on this to be ...useful." The older man gave a gentle smile that was laced with mischief. It quickly faded into seriousness as he finished, "Take care of yourself Miss Xiao Long... Yang."

The girl proved to be less than cooperative in answering her team's questions once she got back to the dorm. She just wanted to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Yang had been doing well for several weeks now. With Ozpin's little black stick, Yang found herself with access to nearly all of Beacon's video records. Yes, _all_ of them. Security camera footage, active webcams in the library, the odd personal cam in a hallway... She had access to everything. It was clear to the blonde that she needed to review these treasures as much as possible, but to also keep the matter as _private_ as she could. With this information in hand, Yang Xiao Long set about rebuilding her, uh... her _self_. Her old life. Mainly her combat skills to begin with.

While there was only _so_ much she could learn from watching old videos, she found herself quickly picking up on her personal style of brawling. Her initial attempts to use the metal gauntlets called Ember Celica were less than stellar - she'd nearly shot her own foot. After studying footage of herself and testing the weapons with blanks, Yang had _almost_ re-mastered them. There was really no substitute for muscle memory though, and Yang soon gained her old confidence from repeated practices. As in, _all-nighter_ type of practices.

She had also caught up on what she was _sure_ was her expected level of book study - only to find out a week later that she had gone too far ahead and begun to study the advanced courses by accident. Fortunately for her, no one had noticed this lapse in judgement. The strange part was that she had little trouble learning this material - according to her previous class listing and her current grades (she had maintained a _B_ average), such knowledge was ...or rather, _should have_ been beyond her. The blonde made a point to study the advanced materials on her own time - preferably in total privacy. It would probably also benefit her to find out why her grades were not any better than they were. Perhaps she was simply missing assignments?

It was inevitable that _someone_ would discover her memory loss, but Yang had formed a plan for just such an event; _play it down_. She would admit that the blow to the head had knocked a few things out, but pretended as though most of the old stuff was just fine. Only claim to have lost 'random' memories. When the discovery finally _did_ happen, this plan worked like a charm. Her team had, of course, been worried (none more so than Ruby), but Yang emphasized that she was _fine._ Nothing seemed lost that she couldn't live without. This news was enough to tide them over as far as Yang could tell. So far so good... right?

Then came one event that the blonde _should_ have paid more attention to, but she was distracted at the time... it would take her far too long to realize her mistake. It just so happened that Weiss decided to offer Yang some personal tutoring in an effort to make sure Yang's studies weren't negatively impacted by the newly-revealed amnesia ( _It's not like I'm worried about you or anything, you brute!)_. Yang _did_ politely refuse the offer, but the two of them engaged in some friendly banter for a few minutes. What Yang didn't notice was that Blake was walking by several feet away when she saw the two of them getting ...friendly with each other.

She definitely didn't see Blake frown deeply, or her amber-colored eyes narrow with jealousy.

 

 

* * *

[ ONE WEEK LATER... ]

* * *

 

Yang and Blake sat in silence in the dorm room. Both Ruby and Weiss had gone into town to run an errand, and after that they planned on doing some sort of 'partner-reinforcement' exercises... whatever the hell _that_ meant. Yang lay quietly on the top bunk, her thoughts drifting to all manner of things; her studies (both public and private), tweaking her gauntlets, how her lunch was giving her gas, ...and occasionally to her distant partner, the girl with the ribbon in her hair. The blonde couldn't shake the feeling that Blake had been _avoiding_ her this past week, but chose to say nothing about it. The longer the silence remained, though, the worse it seemed to get. Blake wouldn't even _look_ at her anymore. Then Yang remembered how their leader, little Ruby Rose, seemed to have some kind of power of manipulation - maybe Ruby and Weiss' absence was meant to give Yang and Blake some much-needed time alone? The blonde certainly wouldn't put it past that girl.

There was a loud sigh, then creaking springs. Blake had finally had enough of the deafening silence and made for the door - only to be stopped by said door. The knob wasn't locked but the wood refused to budge. Blake pulled hard, but to no avail. She even smacked the door once, earning her a sharp noise and a red hand, but no exit. Realizing she was stuck, the brunette turned and glared at Yang, a silent accusation passing between them.

"Hey don't look at me, I'm obviously stuck here too," the blonde threw her hands up in defense.

Blake gave a growl of frustration, then charged into the bathroom and slammed the door closed. Since there was no other noise in the room, Yang would have heard if Blake was doing something, _anything_ , but it remained quiet.

After nearly half an hour, the blonde climbed down from the bunk, annoyed, and made her way to the door. Placing a hand on it, she was only a little surprised to find the wood to be ice cold - literally. _Looks like she got Weiss in on the plot._ Ignoring the frozen-shut door, Yang parked herself just outside the bathroom. She sat on the floor facing the door, partly to keep an eye on it and partly to prevent the teenager inside from slipping out unnoticed.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," came the muffled voice of the brunette.

"You don't seem to have much choice," the blonde answered. Hearing a deep sigh, Yang followed with, "You and I both know that if something's bothering you, ...I probably don't have the _slightest_ clue what it is..."

Some rustling, followed by a sudden bang on the door from the other side. " _ **Don't you DARE tell me you forgot!**_ " came a near-shrieking voice. Yang drew in on herself just a bit. There was a pause, punctuated by harsh breathing from inside. "You're... not allowed ...to say you... forgot _._ "

Yang stood up and walked over to the door, placing both hands and her forehead against the smooth wood surface. "Blake, please... talk to me... _tell_ me..."

There was more rustling, then the doorknob clicked and the door slowly opened. Blake's eyes were red and her nose glistened. She had been crying, and even now still gasped every few breaths. "After everything I've told you..." she sniffed, "after everything we went through... _don't you dare tell me you_ _ **forgot**_ _..._ " The brunette had to squeeze the last words out before she broke down into further sobbing. Yang did the only thing she could think of - she pulled the shorter girl into a hug, hoping her natural warmth would help soothe Blake's nerves. Not that Yang's _own_ nerves were any better...

The two partners stood in the bathroom doorway for several minutes as Blake tried to calm down, still sobbing but more slowly, and Yang was just trying to figure out what the _hell_ just happened. The blonde had realized a long time ago that saying the right thing at the right time had never been her strong suit _before_ the accident, and now was no different. All she could do for now was maintain her posture and wait it out. Simply waiting had done wonders for her numerous times in the past few weeks.

Once she felt Blake was finally good enough to talk, Yang held the shorter girl at arm's length and bent down to look her in the eyes. Large pools of lavender locked with bloodshot jewels of amber. There was something that felt like understanding passing between the two for a moment. Blake finally said, "...Did you _really_... forget?"

"As much as I hate what it's doing to you, yes... I _really_ did," the blonde answered. She would later realize this was the most honest answer she'd _ever_ given.

Blake wiped her eyes, the motion making her look much younger, "I thought... you _hated_ me... I saw you and Weiss... you looked so happy... and you'd been _ignoring_ me... I thought you wanted to ...be with _her_ instead of me..." she gasped between lingering sobs. The ribbon on her head was twitching with every word, but Yang ignored it.

"Oh Blake, I could _never_ hate you. Why would you even _think_ that?" She pulled them into a hug again.

The action seemed to calm the shorter girl down a bit. "Well, Weiss was never a big fan of the faunus, and all of a sudden you're all buddy-buddy..." She sighed, then continued, "I thought maybe I was wrong about you, or that you'd changed your mind about us..."

Yang's brow furrowed. _Okay, I missed something here..._

Blake reached up and undid the knot of her ribbon with one hand, letting the fabric flutter to the carpet. Two large, cat-like ears revealed themselves, each one matching in color to the black hair around them. Yang felt herself growing cold as she saw them.

Blake breathed, "Well if you _really_ forgot, then I'll have to remind you..." as she placed both arms around the blonde's neck, leaning _really_ close. " _I love you_ _Yang Xiao Long_."

Pain.

Bright and blinding pain.

Yang's head felt like it would explode.

Blake's voice in the distance, worried. Calling her name. A fresh wave of pain.

A high-pitched whine, like the scream of a dying creature. _Her_ scream.

* * *

_Yang stood next to Blake, both watching the moon reflect off the clear_  
water. Their hands were clasped together. The shorter girl leaned close,  
resting her weight on the taller, stronger woman next to her. They were  
comfortable there, leaning on each other. No one else needed to see it.  
No one else was in the world.

_"I love you Yang Xiao Long," Blake said. Yang's only response_  
was to bend down and press her lips to Blake's. It was their first kiss,  
but they knew it would not be their last...

* * *

 

 

More white-hot pain. Other voices, ...Ruby and Weiss?

 

 

The pain faded, the noises grew silent.

 

 

Blackness followed. There was no more noise.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter changed it up a bit since I shifted to the POVs of the other three. The headers will tell you which.

 

* * *

[ Weiss ]

* * *

 

No one had told her what to expect when she walked into Yang's hospital room that day, but Weiss was certainly not expecting what came first: _silence_. She had mentally prepared herself for a verbal battle with the blonde, mostly in the form of Yang making stupid puns and Weiss deflating them. But _this_...? The heiress was stunned. The comment she made about preferring the new, quieter Yang _was_ sincere and she _did not_ appreciate Blake's joke afterwards. Honestly, that girl had been spending _too much_ time around Yang and it was starting to show.

Weiss had mostly ignored Yang and her ... _changes_ in the month or so that followed. It wasn't that she didn't _care_... she just had other things to do. Things like classes. And training. Oh, and don't forget the occasional mission. Thinking back on that disastrous outing they'd gone on just after Yang's release, Weiss could only wonder how she didn't see that _something_ was wrong with the girl. It was as though someone else had put on a 'Yang suit' and was parading around like a stage actor who had forgotten their lines. Weiss felt like she was watching ...freaking _Jaune Arc_ in shorts! Oh gods, it was _embarrassing!_

Once the truth came out about her memory loss, Yang's recent antics made _much_ more sense. In a fit of compassion, Weiss had even gone out of her way to offer some private tutoring which Yang had turned down. That didn't bother the heiress, though... once she found out Yang didn't even _need_ it, due to her 'private' studying, Weiss simply _couldn't_ be mad. Hell, it was downright _funny_ , so yeah they laughed for a bit.

How could she have known Blake would take it so ...badly?

It was actually Ruby who pointed out their teammates' little problem, and Weiss instantly understood her point. The two of them had known about Yang and Blake's feelings for each other almost from the start, so it was hard to watch them go through this. While Ruby had the idea to get the two of them alone together, it had actually been _Weiss_ ' idea to freeze the door shut. She knew good and well that Blake could be a bit ... _flighty_ in stressful situations.

That _scream_ , though... gods, what a horrifying sound. And to think it had come from a human being. Weiss shuddered every time she thought of it after that. Even during their little party in Yang's room (which was meant for Blake), Weiss couldn't forget it. The very memory gave her _chills._.. and that was a hard thing to do to Weiss Schnee.

Seeing that their efforts were having little effect on the faunus, team JNPR soon wandered out while offering condolences and apologies and hope-you-feel-betters. Weiss was actually the last to leave because she was trying ... _really_ trying ...to find something meaningful to say to Blake. In the deepest part of her soul, the heiress _knew_ she had to say something, _anything_ , as it might make all the difference in the world for their relationship - such as it was, anyway.

But nothing came out. One of her dearest friends in the world was hurting and all she could do was stare dumbly. She thought of every conceivable form of 'I'm sorry' that she knew, ...but nothing came out. It's not that she _wasn't_ sorry... there were simply no words that could convey her feelings in the most appropriate manner. All she could do was curse herself for being such a bloody _perfectionist._

Weiss left as quietly as she had come in, not even saying goodnight. The lump in her throat was so big that she was sure even other people could see it.

This was the first night since before she arrived at Beacon that Weiss would cry herself to sleep. It was hard to live with the pain of a betrayal, ...especially if it's your own. Weiss was sure that even if ...no, _when_ Yang woke up, there would be some bitter feelings left over. The heiress fully expected Blake to hold this against her for many years to come. All she had to do was apologize, or at least _try_ to explain herself... but her brain had betrayed her.

As sleep finally took her, Weiss' last thought was _This is all my fault..._

 

 

* * *

[ Ruby ]

* * *

 

As the team leader, Ruby Rose had one extra duty that none of the others had; she had to report to Professor Ozpin, and usually by herself. Normally this was something she only had to do once a month or less - lately, she'd been to see him on an almost _daily_ basis. She didn't hate him or anything, but the meetings were always so tense for her that she was far more tired after they were over. All they'd been talking about lately was Yang. Ozpin wanted to know _everything_.

Ruby had been watching Yang for the entire two months since the accident. _Closely_ watching. The girl had to admit that her sister had gotten pretty good at acting, but there was no hiding the underlying problem during that fateful mission in the mountains. The old Yang was _not_ there anymore. If she was, Yang would have realized that Ruby was no longer coming to her for 'sisterly advice' or a comforting hug after a nightmare. Such issues simply never came up. Ruby was starting to miss _her_ Yang.

When the blonde let her memory loss become known, Ruby's instincts immediately began telling her that there was more to it, and after another meeting with Ozpin, she was rewarded with the truth at last: Yang _had_ lost everything. While Ruby Rose was certainly not the paragon of maturity (at least in the real world), she did have enough sense to know when she was unable to _actually help_ with something. This problem was one of the biggest that team RWBY had ever faced (and hopefully _would_ ever face), and all she could do was watch and report. It literally tore her up inside.

And it was affecting her outside as well. Ruby had begun to lose sleep within a week of Yang's return and it had only gotten worse since then. She was missing classes due to her insomnia. She couldn't _help_ it. Ruby felt like she had to keep an eye on her big sister _all through the night_ ...because she was afraid that Yang might disappear. What precious few hours of sleep she _did_ get were plagued by nightmares. The redhead now had dark circles under her eyes; and her smile, which was normally bright and sunny, had become faded and worn out.

Blake was her last hope, but the faunus seemed upset about something: it took Ruby all of 5 minutes to discover the reason. Deciding the two partners needed time to work out the issue, she grabbed Weiss and made a break for it. She was (almost) thrilled when the heiress elected to freeze the door shut. They were on the same page for once, and it felt _fantastic_.

A feeling which quickly turned to _pure horror_ with the sound of Yang's screaming. The sight of the blonde lying still on the carpet and Blake above her in full panic mode was ...was ...so _very_ _close_ to sending Ruby over the edge. First her mother, and now Yang? _Why?_ What did she _do_ to deserve this?

The party was fun, but Ruby was not really _there._ She laughed at Nora's jokes, but she didn't _enjoy_ them. She told them she was okay, but she was _not_ okay. The entire get-together was spent in regret - she should have gone through more routines, she should have drilled the mechanics of defense and teamwork harder, she should have done this, she should have done that... she... oh gods...

_She_ should be the one in that bed, not Yang.

Ruby stood in the bathroom of their dorm, wide awake at 3:00 am and ready to break. She didn't bother trying to stop the tears. She was _supposed_ to keep the team together, to get them through this rough patch. She needed to be the linchpin, the main support of the entire group. Why was everything going so wrong _?_

_Yang_ was the pillar that kept them up... _Yang_ was the one everyone leaned on when things got tough... not _Ruby_...

As the redhead curled into a ball and cried herself to sleep on the cold tile floor, all she could think was _This is all my fault..._

 

 

* * *

[ Blake ]

* * *

 

It had been nearly two months since she'd last seen Yang in the hospital and Blake never wanted to see it again, yet here they were. The teenager who was normally the life of the room and glowing with such a radiance that there could be _no_ shadows - to see her lying in a bed attached to a life-support machine was more than Blake could stand.

And the worst part of the whole thing was that it was all _her fault._

The brunette sat in a chair next to the hospital bed, shoulders slumped and weary. _Why does everything I touch have to fall apart?_ Blake fought back bitter tears as she looked on, helpless to do anything for the woman she loved.

The heart monitor continued it's rhythmic beeping, dutifully informing anyone who could hear it that the girl was still alive. There was a light droning as the building's air conditioner kicked on. Other than that, you could hear a pin drop. There was a lingering smell of roses mixed with other, more subtle aromas; Ruby, Weiss, and team JNPR had visited a few hours ago, hoping to lighten the mood a little. And while Nora's antics were always welcome, there was nothing anyone could do to brighten the faunus' mood. Not today. Not _here._

Blake reached out from her chair and touched Yang's hand, wincing at just how _cold_ the girl felt. That scared her on a deep level, even more so than the memory loss. _Oh, gods... What have I done to you? Yang..._ There was no more fighting the tears now, so Blake simply let them fall. _How can you ever forgive me...? Please..._ The brunette was openly weeping now, not caring if anyone happened to walk in. To _hell_ with them all. She leaned over and rested her forehead against the blonde's cold, clammy hand. Fresh tears began to stain the sheets.

_Please..._ _**come back to me...!** _

It had all started with that _damned_ training battle. Blake neither _remembered_ nor _cared_ who it was that landed the hit on _her_ Yang, since all she cared about was getting the blonde out of danger. She was the one who carried Yang off the battlefield, and she was the only one who stayed by her side all the way to the hospital. Only when the nurses finally pried her away (almost using a crowbar) did Blake _finally_ started to calm down.

The fact that she and Yang had only been 'together' for a couple of weeks before then did little to ease her nerves. After all, they had been _partners_ for far longer than that. As far as the faunus was concerned, she and Yang had ... well, _always_ been together. There _was_ no awkwardness. When she thought about it long enough, Blake had come to the realization that she had fallen in love with the blonde brawler... well, pretty much _at first sight._

Hell, _you_ try to ignore a smokin' hot woman in a tank-top. I _dare_ you.

By the time Yang had woken up from her first visit here, everyone was sure it was over. Team RWBY was back together. Except Yang wasn't ... _Yang_ anymore. Blake _tried_ to ignore the changes, but after a while it was simply more than she could take. Yang was suddenly _quiet,_ she was actually _studying_ , and she... she... _she wasn't making puns!_ Blake was soon convinced that the real Yang had been kidnapped by aliens and replaced by this odd, _introverted_ Yang clone.

Before you get the wrong idea, Blake didn't _hate_ the way Yang was acting... she was actually starting to _like_ it. Up until a week ago, the faunus had believed that Yang was somehow trying to change herself to better match Blake's personality (it was a desperate hope and she knew it). Blake had always hoped that the blonde could see what _she_ saw in those quiet times, the private spaces, and the gentle, intimate moments of peace. Those times when all she wanted to do was sit there and _bask_ in the silence. Up until a week ago, she was _sure_ they were going to be alright...

Then she saw Yang with Weiss. And they were smiling. Blake was no longer sure of _anything_.

All at once, everything seemed to fit. Yang studying - that was _Weiss_ ' thing. The being quiet and no puns thing - _Weiss_ had always wanted that. And now she sees them laughing and smiling together? There was no way she _couldn't_ see the two of them being ... _like that_. Blake had been left out, ignored, ... _betrayed._ That hurt her far more than any heavy blow to the head ever would. This was a blow to the heart. They may as well have shot her with a gun.

And when Yang tried to pin the whole thing on her memory loss, of _course_ Blake had freaked out. How _dare_ she try to make such a lame excuse! Was that really all she thought of Blake? Just a passing memory? She would not... _could_ not... accept such a stupid, idiotic reason for Yang's actions. It would have been better if the blonde had simply ripped Blake's beating heart from her chest...

But she didn't do that. The kind and gentle Yang did _not_ leave Blake to suffer. The faunus knew that even the _old_ Yang would have done something to snap her girlfriend out of this funk (even if it meant breaking the door down). But this _softer_ approach ...well, to use a new internet meme she had learned a while back, it hit her right in the _feels._ ...And that was the first time she'd ever had the chance to say that and _mean_ it.

When they looked into each other's eyes, Blake _knew_ she had been wrong to assume the worst.

Yang would never do anything like that. She believed in Yang... the blonde brawler was her _life_.

And now Yang was _fighting_ for her life. Blake would hear that bloodcurdling scream in her sleep for the next _year and a half._

The staff at the hospital was fine with Blake spending the night with Yang (after the battle they went through to keep the girl out of the operating room, they were in no mood for a full-out war...). With the lights off, Blake leaned over and gently kissed the blonde on the forehead. The skin was cold even there. The faunus slowly laid her head down next to Yang's and closed her eyes, still sitting in the chair. Sleep found her after only a few minutes.

 

 

 

But it wasn't long before _something_ happened. Blake's aura seemed to gain a life of it's own and something that looked like a thin black mist began to seep off of the sleeping brunette and flow out until it met bright blonde hair. From there it surrounded Yang's entire head, then slowly began to find it's way inside...

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

 

 

The first thing Blake noticed was yellow. Lots of yellow. The color was everywhere. All around her was ... _something_ that looked like clouds, or maybe a dense fog, and it was all a dull yellow. This was not a bright, happy color, but more like the squalid tone one would see in a sewage dump. Beneath her feet was a rocky path, and this too was a brownish-yellow color, similar to sandstone. Neither set of ears detected any sounds, nor could her nose pick out any smells. There was a comfortable warmth in the air, similar to the heat of a body in close contact.

The path stretched out before her, disappearing into the yellow fog. As she looked all around her, Blake found that the path dropped off into nothingness on either side of it as well as directly behind her. _No way to go but forward_. And so she walked.

It was at this point that Blake became certain she was in a dream, as she put forth _no_ effort in her movements, yet found herself gliding along just fine. There was also no sensation of her feet hitting the stone beneath her. The yellow clouds gave way as she moved and closed in behind her as she progressed.

All at once, she came into a clearing. The path opened up wide as the fog lifted and Blake found herself looking at... a forest?

The trees before her were densely packed, allowing little to no movement between them. The only way through was the path she was on. As she walked, Blake noticed that the trees were ...not really trees. More like simple images of trees. Like faded paintings. Most of them bore the standard greens of a forest in the warm season, but deeper within she noticed the occasional brown and red that indicated the coming autumn. As she drew nearer to these colors, Blake was suddenly hit with smells - the strong aroma of pine and oak, coupled with the underlying scent of flowers. All at once, the faunus was truly in the woods.

Only then did Blake realize that she was no longer alone. Less than 20 feet ahead stood a little girl with great golden pigtails pulling a wagon with a bundle of red blankets in it. The girl limped weakly, as though she had been walking for the better part of the day. The bundle in the cart stirred, and Blake noticed dark red hair sticking out of the fabric.

The realization hit her like a truck. _My gods... is that Yang? That would mean the girl in the cart is Ruby..._

This was the story Yang had told Blake a while back... and thinking back on it now, the brunette felt like it was in another lifetime. It was the story about how Yang had stubbornly ran away from home to find her mother. A story that _almost_ had a very bad ending...

Blake felt herself grow cold as she noticed the ramshackle cabin just ahead. The blonde girl kept right on walking, oblivious to the danger. The eyes came next, lighting up the blackness of the doorway like bloody stars. Blake saw the girl freeze and could _feel_ her fear, even from her short distance behind them.

The faunus stopped thinking and started moving. In the blink of an eye she was standing in front of little Yang with her weapon drawn and ready (it never occurred to her to ask _why_ she even had a sword in a dream). The creatures of Grimm leapt, each just as faint and jumbled as the trees around them, but Blake didn't care. Gambol Shroud did exactly what it was designed to do... and it did so quite well. Within moments the Grimm were no more.

And just as quickly, the forest around her also dissolved into nothingness. She was back on the rocky path surrounded by piss-yellow clouds. Bleh.

Only this time, she had company.

"Wh-wh-what's going on here, who're you?" A young, shaky voice said from behind her, causing Blake to turn around with a start. Little Yang was sitting on her bum where she had landed, lavender eyes wide with shock. Blake could now see that the blonde was quite dirty and covered with little cuts and bruises. This girl really _had_ been traveling for a long time. The wagon she was pulling had vanished along with the woods.

The faunus sheathed her weapon, then bent down and softly said, "My name's Blake. What's yours?" She tried to smile, hoping the put the child at ease, but it proved to be a difficult task. Her own emotions were in a bit of turmoil at the moment.

"Y-y-yang Xiao Long..." The blonde pigtails vibrated gently as the girl trembled.

Blake nearly whispered her next few words, "Hello, Yang... It's nice to meet you." She held out one hand, waiting tentatively for the smaller girl's reaction. Yang gingerly reached out, flinching at the slightest movement of Blake's outstretched hand, then gently took it. They shared an awkward handshake, then Blake stood up with a light grunt, brushing her pants off as she did. Yang just stared.

"Well I can't very well leave you here..." The brunette looked around them grimly, "Would you like to come with me?"

Yang's lavender eyes also took in their surroundings, then she said, "...okay."

Blake reached out a hand and Yang took it, and the two of them walked down the rocky path. Blonde pigtails bobbed with each step the girl took, her small stature reaching no higher than the brunette's waist.

 

* * *

 

 

 

* * *

The path continued for several more minutes. Or was it hours? Days? Blake had no sense of time in this place. At least now she could hear both her own footsteps and those of her new traveling companion, the young pig-tailed version of her girlfriend. It gave her something to focus on as they walked, which was good since neither one of them seemed to feel like talking. That and it felt like it was getting warmer... almost _hot_.

Once again the fog cleared and Blake found herself in quite possibly the _last_ place she expected to be... at the front gate of Beacon Academy.

It was all there; the trees lining the walkway, the statue at the center of the courtyard, even the towers and spires of the campus itself. As far as she was concerned, Blake was _there._ The yellow clouds from before might as well have never been there at all. A light squeeze on her hand was enough to bring the faunus back down to their surroundings - after all, there was no way a young version of Yang could be standing _here_ with her in real life. Blake absently wondered if there was somewhere they could sit down inside, maybe have some time to chat. It wasn't everyday you get to talk to the kid version of your true love, after all.

Acting on this query, the two travelers made their way to the main door of the building... only to find themselves in a room that _should_ have been on the other side of the campus. This was the room where the new first-year students spent the night before their initiation in the Emerald Forest. The faunus suddenly felt like she'd been transported back in time to her first day at Beacon. The sleeping bags were still there, all splayed out just the same way as back then. Milling around the room were black silhouettes of people in odd shapes and sizes. Low mumbling could be heard. There was the general sense of purpose as the teenagers in the room were getting ready for bed.

_I **am** back at the first day. What in the..._

" _Hell_ ~o-o-o!" A cheerful, familiar voice sang from Blake's left. The faunus' eyes grew wide at the sound.

A much older Yang, dressed in her standard pajamas, was walking across the room towards ...another Blake, also in pajamas, who was reading a book against the wall. Yang was dragging a reddish colored blur that must have been Ruby, but for some reason she was quite fuzzy. Right before her eyes, Blake watched the scene play out; Yang forced Ruby to say hello to Blake, simple greetings were exchanged, and Ruby asked about the book she was reading. Blake's chest became warm as she watched, almost until she felt like she was glowing. _This_ was where she first fell in love with the blonde brawler. _Right here._

A small voice spoke up next to her, "This is where _she_ fell in love with _you_ , too..."

Blake looked down with a start and saw little Yang staring back up at her, all sense of fear and hesitation gone. Large pools of lavender locked with amber.

The scene in front of them had stopped, like a paused movie, and the older Yang turned to face Blake, "The whole time you and Ruby were talking, all I could think was 'I wonder what kind of music she likes?' and 'I wonder if she'd like to go out to lunch sometime?' and '... _gee_ Ruby, you got along with her _awfully_ quick.'" Yang's brow furrowed at the last thought.

Blake let a small laugh come out, knowing it was fine to do so. No one, least of all Yang, would judge her here.

"I have to admit that I was ...a bit jealous of Ruby for being able to start talking with you so quickly." Pajama Yang clutched one arm with the other, looking sheepish. "You were easily the prettiest girl I had ever met. I just kinda... couldn't find the words, you know?"

Blake nodded, "Yeah, I know. I felt the same way." The brunette took a confident step forward, locking eyes with pajama Yang. "That's why I trailed you that day. I had to make sure I was the first one you saw. I wouldn't... _couldn't_ let anyone else have you as their partner."

Yang made a noise that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh, her face turning beet red as she scratched the back of her head. "Geez, Blake..." Little Yang walked over next to her taller counterpart and patted her leg in a motherly fashion. This elicited a long fit of laughter for both taller girls, one that Blake sorely needed.

Before they settled down for a short rest, Blake leaned over and gave pajama Yang a good, solid hug. "We're gonna get through this, Yang. Believe in yourself."

The blonde responded by giving the brunette a quick peck on the lips, then turned a deep shade of red before smiling warmly and tucking herself in.

 

* * *

 

 

 

* * *

It might have been no more than a few minutes or as much as a few hours, but it didn't matter to Blake. She was rested and refreshed beyond what she had ever felt before. The fact that she was now joined by _two_ Yangs was a big help. The school was, once again, gone when she awoke, leaving the trio on the same rocky path walking through the same piss-yellow clouds. More bleh.

And it was getting _hotter_. Blake was starting to sweat profusely.

She had little Yang by the right hand and pajama Yang holding her left arm. The path had started out only wide enough for one, but it was now wide enough to accommodate all three girls side by side. Still they walked on, over seemingly miles and miles of brownish-yellow dirt.

And then, as before, the clouds revealed another scene. Blake had no trouble guessing where she was _this_ time.

This scene was not fuzzy or blurred in the _slightest_. The cobblestone path was as real as could be as it wound it's way around the lake. The water reflected the evening sunlight with crystal clarity. The trees shuddered in the breeze, dropping the occasional leaf from their branches. There was no other noises, no people walking by, no birds... nothing but the calm serenity of Blake's favorite spot. Just ahead of the trio was the large oak that served as Blake's second home. It had a few low hanging branches that she had no trouble climbing up into, and she often did just that on bright, sunny days when she just wanted some time to herself.

And now, sitting in that very spot, was Yang. _Her_ Yang. "Hey there, kitten," the blonde purred.

Dropping her companions' hands, Blake floated forward to meet the woman by the tree. Her voice came out on it's own, "I told you not to call me that."

On cue, Yang put on her best Yang-grin, "Oh come on... you know you like it."

Without another word, Blake took Yang's hand and the two of them began walking along the path. Blake was beyond words. _This was the night._ It was here that they would have their first kiss, where she would declare her feelings for the world to hear, and where they would promise to live out the rest of their lives walking side by side. Blake had felt at that time that she could have written volumes upon volumes of books about how she felt... and still not come close to fully describing it.

"This place and those two were all I could find."

Yang's voice pulled Blake out of her reverie just enough for the brunette to utter, "...What?"

"These memories..." Yang looked back at the two other Yangs behind them, both looking out over the water with matching lavender eyes. "They were the most important to me, so they survived. All the others... well, you saw the fog, right?"

"Yang..." Blake had to fight to keep her voice from cracking, "What's important is that you're here, now. With me."

"But I'm _not_ the girl you first met. Not anymore. That life _died_ two months ago." Yang looked out over the water, eyes beginning to bubble with tears. "I'm not the same Yang..."

"No one said you had to be! I don't care if you lost a few memories, you're still Yang! _My_ Yang!" Blake was now gripping the taller girl by the shoulders and looking her square in the face. "Your memories are just that... _memories_. _They_ aren't _you._ "

Yang reached up and placed her hand on Blake's head, her fingers gently rubbing Blake's ribbon. "If I reached into your head and pulled out your memories of living with the White Fang, ...would _you_ still be _you?_ "

"You and I _both_ know that I'd be better off for it!" Blake didn't even hesitate with her answer, "As much as the pain and heartache drives me to live my life my own way, I would trade _all_ of it in a second for the chance to have a normal, peaceful life!"

"Blake..." The blonde's eyes were uncertain. This was an unexpected reaction, apparently.

By this point, both other Yangs had gathered so that Blake was essentially speaking to all three. "I know it's got to be harder without knowing where you came from or what drives you. I won't pretend to know what you're going through, even a little. But I do know this... _you are who you chose to be._ Your memories do _not_ define who you are _right now_." The faunus had started pacing without even noticing. "It did scare me to think that you lost a few memories back then, but that was only because they might have included events with me! I was scared for _myself!_ I couldn't bear the thought of you losing what we had... what we _have._ "

Now the tears started, and Blake quickly reached up to block them with her palms, "And when I think that this whole mess might have been _my fault..._ "

"Oh, _Blake..._ " three sets of arms quickly encircled the faunus as her legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. The four girls simply sat there for a few minutes, allowing Blake the time she needed to let out her tears. The heat of the embrace was stifling, but Blake soon relaxed into it. This _was_ Yang, after all. _Hot_ was kind of her thing.

The littlest Yang was closest to Blake's ear as she whispered, _"I never blamed you..."_

The world faded into white.

 

* * *

 

 

 

* * *

The path was gone. The yellow clouds were gone. Little Yang, pajama Yang, and normal Yang all floated in featureless white. Blake floated right there with them.

Another figure faded into view. This was Yang as Blake had last seen her; in a hospital gown with tubes and wires coming out of her... although this time the tubes simply vanished into the white. This Yang was still unconscious, not stirring in the slightest at her new ordeal.

Little Yang floated forward first, her bright yellow pigtails swaying in no wind. She turned and looked at Blake, saying, "Thanks for saving me back there."

Blake smiled, "My pleasure."

The child faded as she moved forward, her light merging with the still form of the unconscious Yang.

Pajama Yang came next, still looking sheepish, and said, "So-o-o, ...you free next Friday?"

The brunette chuckled, "Heh, that depends on _you_ , I'd say." She knew the hospital would be keeping a close eye on the blonde for a good while.

Yang simply gave a big grin and cooed, "It's a date, then!" The lightly-dressed teen also faded into a mass of light. She merged with the unmoving Yang.

Normal Yang was last, but she hesitated. Blonde hair swirled and swayed as Yang looked at herself, then at Blake, then back at herself again. Each time her face came into view, Blake could see a large amount of doubt and concern. The faunus reached out and grabbed both of Yang's hands in her own. They stared into each other's eyes for several minutes, not saying a single word. Emotions became clear in both gazes; fear, love, anxiety, concern. Blake squeezed Yang's fingers.

"I believe in you."

Yang sighed. _That_ was what she wanted to hear. She smiled a half-smile, then leaned forward to plant one on Blake... and was quickly stopped with a finger over her lips.

"Save it for when you wake up, ... _hot stuff._ "

Yang grinned her trademark grin, then turned and (rather _quickly_ ) dashed to her unconscious self, dissolving into a mass of light and merging with the body.

The white faded to black very... _very_ slowly. Blake had plenty of time to stare at the fading image of Yang before the darkness overtook her senses.

 

 

In the instant before it all faded out, the faunus caught a glimpse of two small, flickering lights in the distance; one red and one white.

A single emotion spanned the unimaginable distance between Blake and the two lights.

_Grief._

 

* * *

 

 

 

* * *

Blake noticed several things all at once.

First, she was still sitting in the chair of Yang's hospital room, leaning over onto Yang's bed.

Second, she had been either crying or drooling, as the sheets under her face were sopping wet.

Third, a hand had quickly reached under her chin and grabbed her by the shirt collar. It quickly dragged her up and over to Yang's face.

Everything after that was ignored as Yang's kiss _exploded_ through her brain.

 

 

 

 

* * *

[ LATER THAT MORNING... ]

* * *

 

The door blew open as a dark shape whirred inside the room. Rose petals scattered everywhere. " _Yang! You're awake!"_

One hand lifted slowly, "Good morning to you too, sis..." Yang gave a weak smile.

There were no words for the next several minutes. The sisters merely held each other, the smaller of the two bawling her little eyes out. Yang simply let her have some time. "I'm so _happy_... *sniff* you're awake... *sniff* I didn't know what I'd do if... *sniff* ...I lost _you_ too..."

A hand reached down and tugged Ruby's chin up, aiming her watery eyes at Yang's. "I'm _right here_ , Ruby. I'm always right here with you." She lowered her face, gazing intently into silver eyes. "No matter what happens to me, I'm always with you... okay?"

A fresh wave of tears followed as Ruby buried her face in Yang's lap, gasping intermittently. Yang quietly stroked her sister's dark red hair, trying to be ... _some_ kind of comfort. It seemed to be working, too... the smaller girl seemed to be getting a bit quieter with each passing minute.

Almost an hour passed without either teen moving from their spots. Yang started to wonder if Ruby had fallen asleep.

"I can't keep this team together without you, sis..." the younger girl sniffed as she sat up, eyes red and puffy. "I just can't... I..."

" _Well_ ...technically it wouldn't _be_ a team without me, now would it?" The blonde broke into a wide grin and poked Ruby in the forehead playfully.

 _"Ya-a-a-ang! I'm trying to be serious here!"_ She couldn't hold back the grin, however. Both girls began laughing, a much-needed release of tension that had been building up for _far_ too long. Ruby had come in with a short list of questions for Yang, and at the top of the list was _Do you remember anything yet?_ Ruby now saw there was no need for such a question. The underlying tension and uncertainty that had plagued the blonde's every move was gone. The redhead was beside herself at the realization that _Yang_ was back, memories or no memories. She had found her sister again.

 

 

* * *

[ AT THE SAME TIME... ]

* * *

 

The lake was perfectly still and flat, like a great mirror that showed everything in perfect detail. Blake and Weiss stood next to each other looking out over it, both silent for different reasons.

Blake had realized the meaning of the two colored lights at the end of the dream, and soon after had invited Weiss for a walk. The heiress would have normally refused such a thing, but this time she accepted. Blake could clearly see that something still bothered her, but chose to keep her thoughts to herself for the time being. Better to let such things come out on their own rather than be forced. She _knew_ Weiss was hurting, but she wasn't certain why... yet.

"How's Yang?" the heiress said, breaking the silence.

"Alive and kicking, as usual," came Blake's response. She smiled at the thought of the _half-hour_ they spent after Yang had woken up...

"Well, that's ...good. ...Yeah, good." Weiss looked around in a mild panic, her thoughts struggling to find a meaningful thing to talk about.

"Weiss..." The brunette walked over and stood directly in front of the heiress, understanding slowly dawning in her mind. "I'm _not_ mad at you."

Ice-blue eyes darted to the side, too ashamed to make contact. "Well you _should_ be..." she muttered, "This _was_ all my fa-"

"No... If anything, _you_ should be mad at _me_. _I'm_ the one who misunderstood everything, okay?. _I'm_ the one who got mad for no reason. _I'm_ the one who... who almost..." Blake shuddered at what could have been, clutching her arms to her side. "I'm so sorry, Weiss..."

The heiress looked ready to cry, "Dammit, Blake... Here I am trying to find a way to say sorry to _you_ and now you beat me to it."

"..."

"..."

Weiss put her hand to her forehead, a clear sign of her getting a headache, and sighed loudly. "Ha~ah... look at us. All we're doing is blubbering like little kids."

Blake nodded, then put her hand out and offered, "Truce?"

Weiss considered it for all of a second before taking the hand and shaking it, "Truce."

 

 

* * *

[ EPILOGUE ]

* * *

 

Yang had Blake in her arms. That was all that mattered at that moment.

It was late at night and _most_ of the students of Beacon Academy were asleep right now. All but one blonde brawler, anyway. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna were all asleep, the former two in their own beds and with very peaceful expressions on their faces. Thinking back, this was probably the best sleep any of them had gotten in a long time. Yang herself was in the bottom bunk with Blake (and _no one_ dared say _anything_ about it), her free hand gently stroking Blake's exposed cat ears. They were warm to the touch, and so soft that the blonde simply _could not_ get tired of petting them. She smiled as a soft, low rumble emerged from the brunette's throat every few minutes. She didn't get to hear Blake purr very often, but it was thrilling when it did happen.

Most of Yang's memories were still gone, but the three important ones remained. They were the ones she and Blake had recovered together.

She remembered her search for her mother and how it had nearly killed both her and her baby sister. She remembered the first night team had RWBY spent under the same roof, in spite of the fact they were all bickering at the time (and they technically weren't a _team_ yet). Both of these events were vital in shaping how she would walk into her future, and Yang made sure to reflect on them regularly from now on.

And she would _definitely_ remember the night of their confession. The sensation of their lips meeting for the first time was something Yang would _never_ let go of.

Yang Xiao Long had almost fully reconstructed her old self with the help of friends, family, and loved ones. While she still had a long way to go, she knew without any doubt that she would be fine. She had her sister, her best friend, _and_ her lover on the same team - how could she fail?

She was not the _old_ Yang, for that was another life.

As for _who she was_ _now_... all she could do was walk down that road and find out what lay ahead.

 _At least I won't be going at it alone._ The blonde leaned over and pressed her lips to the brunette's forehead and smiled as Blake broke into a sleepy grin. She settled into the sheets, wrapped her hand around Blake's shoulder and buried it in her long, curly hair, then gently fell asleep.

 

 


End file.
